Come Back

It was the smile that most resembled the past version of Lee Hae-seong that Choi Hong-seo remembered. I felt like I understood. This appearance was the one that Lee Hae-seong remembered of Choi Hong-seo. Every time he discovers that image, the more he collects this smile he shows, the more confidence he can give him.

When he was just Yoon Hye-an.

At that time, the sight of Choi Hong-seo appearing in Yoon Hye-an only caused him suspicion and discomfort.

For a while after that period, it was a substitute that barely quenched the thirst of longing that burned his tongue. As he treated Yoon Hye-an as if she were Choi Hong-seo, he constantly searched for Choi Hong-seo within Yoon Hye-an.

But now, the figure of Choi Hong-seo he discovered was no longer a matter of suspicion or replacement.

Every time he discovered it one by one, I could feel his soul trembling, being moved, and rejoicing.

Choi Hong-seo thought about how happy that alone made him. The fact that he sees her as Choi Hong-seo and is trying to fully accept that fact. From the moment he saw Yoon Hye-an’s face in the mirror, it was a situation he had never expected.

Even though I am trapped inside Yoon Hye-an’s shell, I can easily recognize myself as Choi Hong-seo, but he can’t.

“Go ahead and check.” As much as you want, sir.

“Uh?”

“I’m really not hurt.”

“……”

“You can test me, and feel free to give me as many quizzes as you want.” Until you are convinced… Don’t apologize, just keep checking.

Actually, I wanted to say, “Until you can kiss me without hesitation.” But I couldn’t say it out loud. Such expressions would only make him feel more sorry.

With a seemingly complicated smile, he nodded carefully a couple of times.

As we got away from the airport, the roads started to clear up a bit. The landscapes that I had only seen in the media, the ones that come to mind when you think of LA, began to unfold. I drove along the road lined with palm trees and passed through a village with houses featuring well-manicured lawns. The scenery became increasingly bustling as I headed north. There were many sophisticated buildings and shops, and the streets were well-maintained. The atmosphere was completely different from the old hotel where Choi Hong-seo stayed and the area with the gallery.

“This area around here is Beverly Hills.”

“Ah…”

So this is Beverly Hills, the place I’ve only heard about. Choi Hong-seo nodded as if to say he understood, looking at the row of luxurious exterior shops, cafes, and restaurants lined up outside the car window, along with the parade of high-end cars parked in front of them.

“Tourism is… Of course, you couldn’t do it at all, right?

“It’s okay.” “Because we didn’t come here to sightsee.”

“Isn’t there a place you’ve always wanted to visit?” It might be nice to do some sightseeing for a day.

“Just…” Rather than tourist spots. I want to go to a place that you like.

“I also have more experiences of coming here for business trips.” When I have 2-3 days free after work, I either go hiking, take a yacht out to sea, or ride horses without a care in the world… That’s all I do.

“Then I also like hiking.”

“The Santa Monica Mountains are right behind the accommodation.” Shall we go hiking tomorrow?

The dry wind of November California, blowing through the half-open car window, tousled his hair. As he brushed aside the hair that had fallen over his forehead, Lee Hae-seong looked this way.

Choi Hong-seo nodded vigorously in response, and he smiled once more.

Passing by a café where people dressed comfortably yet elegantly were sitting in abundance on the terrace seats, Lee Hae-seong’s car made a left turn and entered a large single-story building.

Rejecting valet parking, Lee Haesung parked his car in a nearly empty corner of the parking lot. He unbuckled his seatbelt and reached back to the rear seat.

“How about putting that aside and wearing this instead?”

What he was holding was a thin cardigan suitable for LA’s November weather. Choi Hong-seo looked down at the shiny jumper he was wearing. This was the most decent choice she could make. It definitely wasn’t Choi Hong-seo’s taste. I received the clothes from him and changed into them.

“Well, much better.” It’s a bit loose, but you always liked wearing things a bit bigger anyway.

Lee Hae-sung, looking at the way he draped his cardigan over his T-shirt, nodded in satisfaction. And this time, he carefully examined Choi Hong-seo’s face.

“I guess the ice pack actually had some effect.” It’s better now.

Even Choi Hong-seo felt that his eyelids had become noticeably lighter. As he nodded, his palm lightly touched and then quickly withdrew from his cheek. With a light and brief laugh.

Following him as he got out of the car first, Choi Hong-seo pulled the right side of his cardigan and buried his nose in the fabric. The lingering scent of the not overly applied perfume, aftershave, body lotion, and Lee Haesung’s unique body odor harmoniously blended together, captivating the sense of smell. It was a nostalgic scent that made it feel like tears would suddenly burst forth.

“……”

Feeling a gaze, I lifted my head, and there he was, having walked to the front of the car, standing still and looking this way. Choi Hong-seo, as if he had committed a crime, quietly put down his clothes. But Lee Haeseong didn’t scold or frown. I see. Now, I’m really being seen as Choi Hong-seo.

Come over here, hold my hand. He extended his right hand. He hurriedly approached, almost running, and placed his palm over his. He firmly grasped her hand and moved towards the entrance.

Two or three employees were waiting at the entrance of the building.

“I am Benjamin, the manager who will assist you with shopping today.” Please feel free to call me Ben. It is a great honor that you chose our shop, Mr. Lee… And…

Whether he had been informed in advance only of Lee Haesung’s name, the manager slightly tilted his face with a smile while looking at Choi Hongseok, who was accompanying him.

“How should I address you?”

It was just a fleeting moment, but Choi Hong-seo could sense the man’s gaze reading her attire, demeanor, and the ‘background’ hidden within them. The man was wearing a gentle smile, but it seemed he had already concluded in his mind that Yeongseong and Choi Hongseong were VVIP customers and the young playmates he had brought along. Even though he was smiling so kindly, it was amazing how clearly those thoughts were conveyed.

Choi Hong-seo hesitated, stepping back and half-hiding behind Lee Hae-sung’s shoulder. Pulling his hand away, Lee Hae-seong looked down at Choi Hong-seo.

“I should tell you my name.”

“Please let the gentleman speak for me.”

“How can a grown adult not be able to handle that themselves?”

Even though he said that, his face looked joyful. He looked down lovingly at Choi Hong-seo, who was half-hidden and shyly covering her face over his shoulder, and leaned his forehead against hers.

It’s a baby. Baby. (Él es mi bebé, bebé.)

“……”

“……”

Lee Haesung’s expression was serious, but of course it was a joke, and naturally, no one at the table, including Choi Hongseok, laughed. The manager and staff had expressions clearly showing they were momentarily unsure how to react. Choi Hong-seo couldn’t smile for a slightly different reason than them.

Baby.

That was the nickname that Lee Hae-seong had given to Choi Hong-seo.

Even though the meaning is the same, hearing “baby” in English felt a bit different. Maybe he didn’t want to use the old nickname but just wanted to tease me. Even so, the way he pronounced “my baby” was as sweet as the most delicious macaron I had never tasted before.

Shame was a separate matter from that sweetness.

Pulling his hand, I murmured just loud enough for him to barely hear.

“Don’t do it.”

“Why?” You couldn’t even introduce yourself, so I called you a baby.

He shrugged his shoulders as if he didn’t know what the problem was. Then, looking down at Choi Hong-seo’s earlobe, which had turned almost crimson, he sighed.

“It’s a joke.” He gets so shy that I just wanted to tease him a bit. This is Mr. Choi. This is my partner, Choi Hong-seo.

“Oh, yes!” Mr. Lee and Choi. I was looking forward to it. I will help you have a comfortable shopping experience.

At the understanding words of the joke, the manager and employees let out an awkward laugh. It seemed that here, just like in Korea, they had to break a sweat while laughing at the customer’s ambiguous joke. Moreover, he wouldn’t be an ordinary customer.

The two people who were guided inside moved deeper into the store. The manager enthusiastically introduced the shop to Lee Haeseong, who was visiting for the first time. Since it was fast and long English that he mostly couldn’t understand, Choi Hong-seo just followed along, looking around the spacious store.

Looking back at Choi Hong-seo, who was following about two steps behind, Lee Hae-sung pulled his hand closer, reducing the distance.

“Is there anything you like?”

“That’s not it, there are just too few people.”

“I asked in advance.” Since we’re the only guests, you can feel free to relax.

So that’s what you meant when you asked someone on the phone at the hotel to let you shop quietly. How much shopping do I have to do here to get this entire store cleared out?

Choi Hong-seo couldn’t even begin to imagine. Since it was a shop that only gathered expensive goods, it didn’t seem likely that they would vacate the shop for just 10,000 to 20,000 dollars. The steps following the understanding inevitably kept slowing down. I wasn’t particularly fond of shopping, but this was the first time I felt scared.

Inside, a shopping space was prepared exclusively for Lee Hae-seong and Choi Hong-seo. In the center, there was a spacious sofa, and in front of it, a table was set with refreshments. It wasn’t just for show; it was a beautifully arranged table, like an afternoon tea set from a high-end hotel.

“That’s great.” You like it, right?

Pointing at the colorful macarons and the adorably tiny pastries on the three-tiered tray, Yeseong smiled at Choi Hongse. From now on, even though he was about to spend a fortune, he spoke as if he were lucky to be treated to this spread. It was a tone that seemed like trying to distract a child who was dragged along to their parents’ boring shopping.

Feeling as though he were sitting on pins and needles, he sat side by side with him on the sofa. Coffee, juice, tea, champagne… whatever drink he wanted, he could order. Hong-seo followed his choice no matter what option was available.

“I can’t drink since I have to drive, but you could’ve had some champagne to relax.”

“I just… was curious about the tea you chose.”

Thanks to his kind and considerate translation, Hong-seo could have chosen something different if he’d wanted, but honestly, he liked having the same thing as him. And though he pretended otherwise, he enjoyed watching the growing warmth in his expression each time they picked the same thing.

He thought that if he collected enough of those smiles, if he saw enough of that happiness in his face, it might mean he’d get a kiss from him just that much sooner.